Community Health Law Project’s Post

HAPPENING TODAY! Listen live to oral arguments at the U.S. Supreme Court Monday, April 22 at 10 a.m.: https://lnkd.in/dsPxVZYm. They are also scheduled live for C-SPAN Radio and C-SPAN 1. https://lnkd.in/eUsNWiYs. WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in Grants Pass v. Johnson on Monday, April 22, 2024. The case relates, in part, to the Eighth Amendment protections against cruel and unusual punishment. Grants Pass v. Johnson highlights the issue of unaffordable housing and its consequences, including increased homelessness and encampments in residential areas. Southeastern Pennsylvania also struggles with housing unaffordability and has seen increased numbers of unhoused people in recent years. This prompted LASP and Community Justice Project advocates to obtain an injunction in U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Pennsylvania in Better Days Ahead Outreach Inc. v. Borough of Pottstown, 2023 U.S. Dist., preventing the type of criminalization at issue in Grants Pass. 🔶 To learn more about the issue locally, watch the recording from the April 4 webinar hosted by the Bucks-Mont Collaborative, “The Criminalization of Homelessness and How to Help the Unhoused: A Presentation & Discussion with Legal Aid of Southeastern PA, Community Justice Project and Access Services.” https://lnkd.in/eDtnqcrf Legal advocates explain the current issues around the criminalization of homelessness, including new developments at the U.S. Supreme Court and how they may impact people locally. The presentation also covers common legal issues experienced by unhoused people, how CJP, LASP and Access Services can help, and opportunities for collaboration. 🔷 LASP article with links to the Supreme Court docket and more: https://lnkd.in/eYyq_rSB 🔷 WHYY story: "A Supreme Court case could have major implications for homelessness in Philly region: Some legal scholars believe the Supreme Court’s decision could have far-reaching consequences beyond the issue of homelessness" | https://lnkd.in/ePNF3PPZ

Legal Aid operating at the highest level to make systemic change.

In Maricopa County, a collaborative initiative offers vital resources to those facing eviction, uniting community and legal systems in support. At the Southwest Regional Justice Center, key players such as judges and legal advocates outlined available assistance, emphasizing a supportive approach over punitive actions. This effort, which includes sealing eviction cases to protect credit scores, offers individuals a fresh start and combats housing insecurity. This approach significantly benefits the community by fostering resilience and care. By ensuring that tenants have access to virtual hearings and necessary legal resources, the system is adapting to meet the needs of our community. Such measures help prevent eviction, contributing to community health by averting homelessness. They stand as a testament to the power of support in overcoming adversity and ensuring stability. A New Leaf sees this initiative as a reflection of its mission to change lives through support and opportunity. It underscores the importance of community collaboration in providing a safety net, aligning closely with A New Leaf's commitment to helping those in need navigate towards a brighter future. https://lnkd.in/giPBnBgH

Access to cohesive services in regional areas can be a significant challenge, with programs and resources often spread out or hard to find. The Seymour Community Directory, an initiative managed by the SEED Project (an initiative of the Brotherhood of St Laurence), is tackling this issue by creating a one-stop resource that brings together a wide range of community services and programs for the Seymour region. This user-friendly directory is designed to streamline access to support, whether it's related to health, wellbeing, education, or social services, making it easier for individuals and families to find the right resources when they need them most. It represents a step forward in building stronger, more connected regional communities. At Medson Legal, we are proud to partner with the SEED Project by offering a 30-minute legal consultation service through referrals from the Seymour Community Directory Program. This collaboration allows us to provide crucial legal support to individuals navigating family law, family violence, victims of crime, and wills and estates issues. Our team is committed to improving service accessibility for both local and remote clients. The Seymour Community Directory is a key example of how collaboration and innovation can improve service delivery in regional areas, fostering more cohesive and connected communities. 

Housing is a human right.

It's interesting how councils are getting very animated when people take matters into their own hands. However, as I drive across Ilkeston locally to work as well we have holes in the middle of roads that you could hide a small child in, and your front wheel entirely. So the question is when we end up with no public services why prevent people from DIY. Next we will be told that if the Police don't turn up we just have to allow ourselves to be robbed? Also one more small point, we seem to always have money for council vanity projects even in a crisis! #potholes #councils #counciltax https://lnkd.in/e5uJh7Ze

Open Door Legal , a DRK portfolio organization, is pioneering the country’s first system of universal access to legal help for low-income communities. Their vision is that San Fransisco — and eventually the world — will be a place where no one is prevented from seeking justice because they cannot afford it. Nobody is turned away. To date, Open Door Legal has completed over 3,300 full-scope cases for people in San Francisco, and they have expanded to cover over two-thirds of SF’s low-income population. According to a recent study, Open Door Legal’s free aid reduced homelessness by nearly half in San Francisco's Bayview neighborhood, proving that universal access to representation is the most cost-effective way to reduce homelessness. Read the San Francisco Examiner’s article detailing the positive impact of Open Door Legal’s scaling work: https://lnkd.in/gkAzgpnH Adrian Tirtanadi

LA’s CCA/CCEA & CD14 got so corrupted for so long they were able to build 20k units in a decade with <3% “affordable”, and 0 affordable to households paying only 30% of a GR check ($2/day or $60/month). Politicians went to prison over it, but not a single unit was clawed back to affordability. CCA also lobbied against several pieces of legislation assigning basic civil rights to homeless people (nothing extreme, unless you view affirming our basic constitutional protections as extreme, which you might) and hiring the best legal strategists in the country like Gibson & Dunn to conspire against HF from within our Homelessness sector while arguing against us to SCOTUS. Yes, Theane Evangelis, the woman attorney who argued orally to SCOTUS FOR Grant’s Pass, Oregon belongs to the DTLA office of Gibson & Dunn, and is a member of CCA. Evangelis also held one of eight seats on the LA County Blue Ribbon Commission on Homelessness. WITH ADVOCATES LIKE EVANGELIS, WHO NEEDS ENEMIES?! Shutting down the most affordable housing in the City (Skid Row Housing Trust aka The Trust, RIP) was another huge blow to Housing First. Also, there is no enforcement or funding for 20k protected RHO units and Airbnb took to 1000s of houses/apts off the LT rental market.

This seems to be a common theme—those who most commonly and vociferously call for others to be held accountable are, in fact, the one who needs to be held accountable for creating, participating in and, or amplifying the cultural problem that is actually the cause of the problem at hand. As with her decision to tie general aid to drug testing, Mayor breed is again pushing a ‘tough love’ narrative that I associate with the worst of neoliberal economics—blaming individuals for the outcomes of obvious systemic failings. It’s still wrong. ““We are going to be very aggressive and assertive in moving encampments which may even include criminal penalties,” “The problem is not going to be solved by building more housing,” Breed added. “Thank goodness for the Supreme Court decision.” Breed said the city has had to move from a compassionate approach to one focused on accountability.” If you’re in a leadership position, consider what role you are playing in creating a system/ culture that leads to negative outcomes before you hold someone who you have power over ‘accountable’ for those negative outcomes. We’re still doing the same thing—trying to discipline and punish our way out of problems that are actually amplified by discipline and punishment—and we’re still ensuring that we never overcome the fundamental flaw of our society in doing so. #grantspass #homelessness

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in Grants Pass v. Johnson on Monday, April 22, 2024. The case relates, in part, to the Eighth Amendment protections against cruel and unusual punishment. The case highlights the issue of unaffordable housing and its consequences, including increased homelessness and encampments in residential areas. Southeastern Pennsylvania also struggles with housing unaffordability and has seen increased numbers of unhoused people in recent years. This prompted LASP and Community Justice Project advocates to obtain an injunction in U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Pennsylvania in Better Days Ahead Outreach Inc. v. Borough of Pottstown, 2023 U.S. Dist., preventing the type of criminalization at issue in Grants Pass. 🔶Join us Thursday, April 4 for a webinar presented by Bucks-Mont Collaborative: “The Criminalization of Homelessness and How to Help the Unhoused: A Presentation & Discussion with Legal Aid of Southeastern PA, Community Justice Project and Access Services.” 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Virtual via Zoom. Register: https://lnkd.in/eyfKzeDX Legal advocates will explain the current issues around the criminalization of homelessness, including new developments at the U.S. Supreme Court and how they may impact people in Bucks and Montgomery counties. The presentation will also cover common legal issues experienced by unhoused people, how CJP, LASP and Access Services can help, and opportunities for collaboration. 🔷Website article with links to the Supreme Court docket and more: https://lnkd.in/edG6M5Rv 🔶April 4 Bucks-Mont Collaborative presentation with Access Services, LASP & Community Justice Project: https://lnkd.in/eDnQ-X4m 🔷WHYY story: "A Supreme Court case could have major implications for homelessness in Philly region: Some legal scholars believe the Supreme Court’s decision could have far-reaching consequences beyond the issue of homelessness" | https://lnkd.in/ePNF3PPZ